Teijin to Enter High-Performance Polyethylene Market

12 November 2010

Teijin will enter the high-performance polyethylene (HP-PE) market by establishing its first production facility in Emmen, the Netherlands, aiming to start commercial production in the second half of 2011.

Teijin plans to grow its HP-PE business quickly through innovation and market cultivation, targeting a global market share of 15% to 20% by 2015.

HP-PE, which generally comes in the form of fibers or tapes, is produced with ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) polymers. Being highly resistant to impact, cutting, wear and chemicals while offering outstanding toughness and strength, HP-PE has a wide range of applications, including reinforced plastics, protective materials, ropes, nets and medical materials.

Teijin Aramid BV and Teijin Techno Products Limited, core members of Teijins Aramid Fibers Business Group, have been developing HP-PE production processes and products in their respective research facilities in Arnhem, the Netherlands and Iwakuni, Japan. Currently, Teijin produces limited amounts of HP-PE at pilot plants in the Netherlands and Japan.

As the result of these two companies successfully establishing viable mass-production technologies and new production processes, as well as the required product quality on a mass-production basis, Teijin has decided to move forward with its commercial production of HP-PE.